So, look, this adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde is definitely not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It has a lot of major players here! Tracy, Turner, and Bergman. That is some star power!

That said, this is an outright remake of the 1931 film, with minor differences here and there. Acted well? Of course! Intriguing? Sure! The problem is, Frederic March’s (1931) performance as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde is so batshit that it won him an Academy Award. If I had not watched the 1931 adaptation at all and had just viewed this particular film, it would absolutely stand out. The acting is top-notch. It’s filmed beautifully. I’m still upset that my guy Utterson is nowhere to be seen, which means there is also no plot point involving the Last Will and Testament.

Dudes! This means there is a chance that this version of Dr. Henry Jekyll left me something cool in his will. I’m hoping for the hat.

What else can I say?

I prefer Miriam Hopkins’ Ivy over Ingrid Bergman.

I prefer Lana Turner’s Beatrix over Rose Hobart’s Muriel.

This is also the first time we get a clear picture of the ‘why?’ Dr. Jekyll pursues his experimentation, having a mental health aspect. Unfortunately, this is coupled with talk about separating good from evil, a tactic I’m not sure would work quite as well today without a hell of a lot of nuance, a lot of treading very carefully to avoid further mental health stigma. Whether this carries on into other films, we shall see.

The makeup to create Hyde is subtle compared to the previous versions:

Is it worth a watch? Yes.

Would I recommend it over the 1931 version? No.

Onto the next!

Siemelle